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Establishing a stable and trusting therapeutic relationship is of particular relevance in the treatment of people with (severe) mental disorders and plays a crucial role in preventing escalations and avoiding coercive measures. However, rigid ward structures and rules leave little room and flexibility for the individual needs and explanatory models of persons in acute crises. Considering this background and based on practical experience, a new recovery-oriented treatment concept, the Weddinger Modell, was developed and implemented in 2010 at the Department of Psychiatry of the Charité at the St. Hedwig Hospital (PUK SHK) in Berlin. After having worked with the Weddinger Modell for over 10 years, the model’s effectiveness for promoting treatment quality and therapeutic relationship and preventing coercion has been proven in numerous scientific studies and in daily clinical practice. This literature review aims at providing a systematic overview of the scientific findings to date on mechanisms and effects of the Weddinger Modell. For this purpose, a literature search was conducted in all relevant bibliographic databases. Overall, eight studies examining the Weddinger Modell, either as a whole model or focusing on specific parts of the model, were included in this study and systematically analyzed with regard to the following variables: aim of the study, sample, evaluated aspect of the Weddinger Modell, measured variable (method used), date of evaluation, and outcome. Three main dimensions of effects (promotion of treatment quality, prevention of coercion, reduction of negative effects after coercion) of the Weddinger Modell were found. The findings of this review are presented with regard to the specific requirements in the treatment of people in acute psychiatric crises and linked with different phases in the course of psychiatric treatment (Fig. 2). Furthermore, the findings are considered in light of their practical relevance and the flexible and resource-efficient implementation of the Weddinger Modell in (acute) psychiatric settings is discussed.